Nut-supporting device



Oct. 2, 1945. I J, F, EBERT v 2,385,777

NUT-SUPPORTING DEVICE I INVENTOR T a- TASS. i BY 1 A zTORNEYS PatentedOct. 2, 1945 NUT-SUPPORTING DEvIoE w 7 Joseph F. Ebert, Hollis, N. Y;,assignor, by me'sne Y assignments, to Smaller War Plants Corporation,New York, N. Y., a corporation of the United States Application October26, 1943, Serial No. 507,714

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a nut-supporting device.

An object of this invention is a simple, inexpensive and adjustable nutcarrier by means of which a plurality of nuts may be supported innumerous different patterns.

One form of device embodying the invention consists of a thin ribbon offlexible material having spaced portions of reduced width by theprovision of which the ribbon may be bent in the plane of its width.Between each pair of successive reduced width portions an aperture isprovided in the ribbon for the purpose of receiving a nut.Inter-engaging means are provided on the ribbon and nut for holding thelatter in the aperture.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention willbecome apparent from the following specification and accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a nut-holding device embodying the inventionwith nuts filling the apertures and the nuts being arranged in astraight line;

Fig. 2 is a, similar view with the nuts arranged on a curved line;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan View with one aperture vacant andillustrating one form of nutholding means;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4. illustrating a modified form ofnut-holding means, and

Fig. '7 is a section on the line '|-'I of Fig. 6.

A thin flexible ribbon-like member II) is provided with polygonalapertures II at longitudinally spaced intervals. Between the apertures,the ribbon is provided with V-shaped cutouts I2 extending inwardly fromopposite sides of the ribbon nearly to its center line. The member I0 issufiiciently thin that it may be bent out of the plane of its width andthe reduced width portions are small enough that the ribbon III may alsobe bent in the plane of its width as shown in Fig. 2.

In each aperture I I is arranged a nut I3 which may be either a standardnut or a self-locking nut either of the type illustrated in theco-pending application of William Ruthven, Serial No. 472,333 or of thetype illustrated in the copending application of Edward H. Gillette,Serial No. 467,143. Means, later to be described, are provided forretaining the nuts in the apertures. By flexing the ribbon I0, the nutsI3 may be arranged in a number of difierent patterns to locate the nutsin register with holes in a sheet of metal or the like.

In the modifications illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, small projections I4extend inwardly from the periphery of the aperture I I. Preferably,there are two projections extending inwardly from opposite faces of thepolygon, but the invention contemplates that one projection may beenough while more .than two may be used, if desired. The nut I3 isprovided with a notch or groove I5 in one or more of its faces of properdepth to receive a projection I4 and either of the same length as thewidth of the projection I4 or extending the full width of the nut face.Preferably, there is a groove I5 in each face of the nut I3 but thereneed be a groove only in as many faces as there are projections. I4. Thenut I3 is inserted into the aperture II and the projections I4 aresprung out of the plane of the ribbon until they snap into the groove I5whereupon they resume their original positions and retain,

the nut in the aperture.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7, the nut I3 isprovided on one or more faces with a projection. I6, there preferablybeing at least two such projections arranged opposite each other. Twoidentical ribbons I0 have apertures receiving nuts with the projection IB being arranged between the'two ribbons. The two ribbons are suitablyconnected together at intervals and the projections I6 by-engagementwith the inner faces of the two ribbons retain the nuts in theapertures.

It is of course understood that various modifications may be made in thearrangement above described without in any way departing from. thespirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a strip of flexiblematerial having a series of uniformly spaced polygonal apertures, a pairof opposed V notches in opposite edges of said strip between each pairof apertures, a nut in each aperture of conforming configuration to saidaperture and of proper size to prevent rotation of the nut in theaperture, and co-operating means on said strip and nut to retain saidnut in the aperture.

2. A device of the character described comprising a strip of flexiblematerial having a series of uniformly spaced polygonal apertures, a pairof opposed V notches in opposite edges of said strip between each pairof apertures, a nut in each aperture of conforming configuration to saidaperture and of roper size to prevent rotation of the nut in theaperture, and one. or more" ears extending outwardly from the peripheryof the nut into engagement with the surface of said strip.

4. A device of the character described comprising a two-laminae strip offlexible material having a series of uniformly spaced polygonalapertures, a air of opposed'v notches in the opposite edges of saidstrip between'each pair of apertures, a nut in each aperture ofconforming configuration to said aperture and of proper size to preventrotation of it in the aperture, and one or more ears extending outwardlyfrom the periphery of said nut between said laminae.

' JOSEPH F. EBERT.

